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US to Ease Tariffs on India as Trade Deal Nears Completion: Trump

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 US President Donald Trump announced that Washington is “pretty close” to finalizing a “fair trade deal” with India, indicating that the United States will soon reduce the steep tariffs imposed on Indian goods. India currently faces some of the highest tariffs globally—around 50 percent—primarily due to an additional 25 percent “penalty” for its earlier purchases of Russian oil. Trump, addressing reporters at a White House press briefing, explained that the high tariff rates were largely a result of India’s energy trade with Russia. “Right now, the tariffs are very high on India because of the Russian oil, and they have stopped doing the Russian oil. It’s being reduced very substantially. Yeah, we will bring the tariffs down at some point,” he said. In New Delhi , government officials confirmed that they see no need for further negotiations on the trade deal, as the two sides have been working on the legal text since October. “Talks are progressing well between the two sides,” sa...
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Nine Killed, Several Injured in Car Blast Near Red Fort; Amit Shah Orders Probe into All Angles

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  A devastating explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening left at least nine people dead and many others injured, sparking panic in one of the city’s busiest heritage zones. The blast occurred inside a moving car outside Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station around 6:52 pm, setting off a massive fire that engulfed several nearby vehicles. While the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be confirmed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that investigative agencies were examining “all angles” and not ruling out any possibility, including a terror link. Teams from the Delhi Police, National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA) , and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were deployed to the site within minutes of the incident. The Blast and Its Immediate Impact According to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha , a Hyundai i20 car moving slowly along the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort suddenly exploded, affecting surrounding vehicles. W...
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Hungary Gets a Pass from US on Russian Oil Sanctions: What It Means for India

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  In a surprising geopolitical twist, the United States has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on Russian oil, even as it continues to pressure other nations — including India — to reduce their reliance on Russian energy. The move, announced just weeks after fresh sanctions were imposed on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil on October 22, has stirred debate on whether Washington’s approach to sanctions is more political than economic. A Strategic Exemption for Hungary Hungary’s exemption allows the Central European nation to continue purchasing Russian oil despite the latest American sanctions. In return, Hungary has committed to purchasing US liquefied natural gas (LNG) worth nearly $600 million and building a $114 million nuclear fuel deal. This waiver follows President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where Trump emphasized that allies who cooperate with the US on critical issues — such as countering China — might receive favorable...
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Why Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Believes China Could Win the AI Race

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 Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has issued a strong warning that China could soon surpass the United States in the race for artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the FT Future of AI Summit , Huang emphasized that China’s competitive edge comes from lower energy costs , fewer regulations , and a government-backed drive to dominate the AI sector. This, he said, could position China ahead of the U.S. in one of the most transformative technological races of our time. “ China is going to win the AI race, ” Huang remarked, according to a report by the Financial Times . He added that Western nations, including the U.S. and the U.K., were being slowed down by excessive caution and regulatory hurdles. “Every conversation on AI in the U.S. comes with the risk of 50 new regulations,” Huang said, pointing to how bureaucracy can stifle innovation. The Chinese Advantage Nvidia faces a significant challenge from China’s approach to AI development. The Chinese government provides energy subsidi...
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Reviving the charm of spiders: A Pune initiative challenges long-held fears.

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  Making Spiders Lovable Again: How a Pune Initiative is Spinning New Stories Around Old Fears For generations, bedtime stories and old wives’ tales have painted spiders as sinister creatures — lurking in dark corners, spinning webs of deceit and danger. Their eight legs and glassy eyes have long inspired unease, even in the bravest among us. From the heroic world of Harry Potter, where even wizards like Ron Weasley quake at the sight of them, to our own homes where a glimpse of a web invites panic, spiders have suffered from an image problem that’s centuries old. But in Pune, a quiet revolution is underway — one that hopes to make people see spiders not as symbols of fear, but as fascinating and vital members of our natural world. At the heart of this movement are Shreyas Pattanshetty and Swara Bakshi , two passionate naturalists who have always viewed spiders differently. As members of Capparis Eco Solutions , an organisation that works in biodiversity assessments and environ...
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Queens of the World: A Historic Women’s World Cup Victory

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Under the Midnight Sky: How Harmanpreet Kaur’s Women Wrote India’s Golden Chapter   It was a little past midnight on a magical Sunday — the kind of night when dreams and destiny often meet. The lights at Navi Mumbai’s D.Y. Patil Stadium shimmered like a thousand stars, the crowd roared like a heartbeat that belonged to the entire nation, and in that electrifying moment, Harmanpreet Kaur lifted the Women’s Cricket World Cup — a gleaming symbol of years of struggle, sacrifice, and unshakable belief. India was finally crowned world champions in women’s cricket. For millions watching at home, it was more than a win. It was a release of emotions buried over decades. It was for the girls who once played with tennis balls on dusty fields, for mothers who had quietly stitched broken cricket nets, and for the veterans who had once played without applause or sponsorship — just for the love of the game. The Roots of a Dream This victory didn’t begin on that glittering night. It began i...
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India and UK Finalize 'Historic' Free Trade Agreement, Aiming to Boost Trade and Create New Employment Opportunities

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 India and the United Kingdom have concluded a landmark Free Trade Agreement, finalizing negotiations in late April. Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer praised the deal as a major milestone that will deepen bilateral ties, increase trade, and create new job opportunities. The FTA eliminates UK tariffs (2–18%) on Indian goods like textiles, footwear, auto components, and machinery—supporting India’s labour-intensive sectors. In exchange, India will gradually reduce duties on UK whiskey and gin from 150% to 40% over ten years, and cut automotive tariffs under a quota system. UK exports such as cosmetics, medical devices, and food products will also benefit from reduced Indian tariffs. Sensitive Indian agricultural items like dairy and apples remain excluded to protect local farmers. The textile and footwear industries welcomed the move, while the alcohol sector expressed concerns about similar future deals with other countries. A key highlight is the Double Contributio...
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